Charges laid after ATM stolen using small tractor

A 34-year-old P.E.I. man faces multiple charges after an ATM was taken from a convenience store with a small tractor Thursday morning in Charlottetown.

Police received a complaint around 3:20 a.m. that an alarm was going off at the Petro-Canada gas station on Malpeque Road, in Winsloe.

When they arrived, police discovered someone had forced open the main door using a small tractor and taken the ATM.

Police say they followed "suspicious tracks in the snow leading to an obscure area" and found a man trying to force open the ATM. They arrested him after a short chase on foot.

"An RCMP cruiser which was on patrol in the Warren Grove area spotted some suspicious tracks," said Gary McGuigan, deputy chief, Charlottetown police. They followed up on that lead. As a result, they caught the suspect in the act of breaking into the machine."

Police allege the man stole the tractor from a business near the convenience store.

They say they recovered the stolen cash, a damaged ATM and a stolen snowmobile allegedly used by the thief.

The charges include possession of break and enter tools, possession of stolen property, break enter theft, and theft over $5000.

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Correction : An earlier version of this story said the theft occurred Friday morning. In fact, it happened Thursday morning.(Mar 24, 2017 12:58 PM)